


So Sharp You Won't Feel A Thing

by Quillss



Category: Coraline (2009), Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coraline Fusion, Body Modification, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, De-Aged Characters, Gen, Kidnapping, Mild Blood, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, hell yeah, some things have been changed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-07-10 09:23:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19903450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quillss/pseuds/Quillss
Summary: Shinguji Shuichi is brought away to a new, boring life. In an apartment house he didn't even want to move into. Brought away from his normal life into a new place with new, crazy neighbors and strange happenings.Things only get stranger when he discovers the child-sized door in the living room.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> am i in a position to start a new series
> 
> n  
> no
> 
> but im still gonna!

Shuichi pressed his cheek against the car window, watching rain patter down heavily onto the glass and cool his already freezing skin. 

"Shuichi, can you at least sit-up straight?" 

Shuichi hummed in slight annoyance but he moved back from the window. It wasn't like there was much scenery to view. Dull grey mud in a dull grey forest. On a dull grey road. Everything was just.. dull and grey. He couldn't think of anything other than that to describe it. Boring- that was the only thing he could add to his descriptions.

"The house we're moving into is over a century and a half old, Shuichi. Isn't that interesting?" 

This time, Shuichi didn't even bother to respond. If they were vacationing or visiting there, he wouldn't have complained or moped at all. It could make some great pictures for his scrapbook, or he could spend hours trying to uncover the mysterious origins behind the house's creation. Find out about prior owners, whether anyone had ever passed out there, if there had been any kidnappings..

Shuichi's mind was complex for a twelve year old. He was introverted more than anything. But even back at his old home and his old school, he had friends. Though he hid behind his cap and stuck his nose in a book the majority of the time, he had at least people who liked him. But that was purely circumstantial. Shuichi knew he'd never find friends like Kaito or Maki again. Especially not here of all places.

Leaning back in the back car seat, the dark-haired boy stared longingly outside as their car made its way up one of the last winding hill roads toward their new home. 

The ancient house stuck out like a sore thumb. Not in a good way. The pink paint that was most likely once a soft beautiful shade was now a dusty rose, with chips of paint missing and replaced with ugly black and brown markings. The black tiled roof looked really unsafe, and he wouldn't be surprised if they had leaks in their ceiling. The windows looked dirty and murky, but they weren't cracked. 

A sigh racked itself through Shuichi's body and he slumped back against his seatbelt. He could see both of his parents look at his unentertained form through the rearview mirror, then exchange worried glances with each other. 

"The school has good track record, too. Not like Sunset Hill, they-"

"Sunset Hill at least had people who liked me." Shuichi interrupted his mother's one-sided conversation, causing a glare to come from his father in the front passenger seat.

"Now, Shuichi, you don't know-"

"Leave it, Kiyo." Shuichi's mother spoke, looking over at him warily as they parked in front of their new home. 

Korekiyo looked slightly annoyed, but he said nothing as he unbuckled his belt and exited the car into the pouring rain. Shuichi groaned, looking into the rearview mirror and looking back at his mother's concerned gaze. "I don't want to stay here." He admitted, though it was clear that was a fact from the start.

"I know, Shuichi. But things will turn out for the better, you'll see. I'm sure-"

"Kirumi, where do I tell the movers' to put our snow globes?" Shuichi heard his father call, and Kirumi rolled down her window and yelled out into the rain about leaving the box in the living room. Shuichi didn't want any box to be in any room that wasn't their old sitting room. He did his best to tune out the conversation, pulling down the brim of his cap and ignoring any words directed toward him.

Shuichi heard Kirumi sigh to no avail, before leaving the car in a quick door slam. He peered out the window again, watching Kirumi and Korekiyo interact with each other about the several boxes in the back of the movers' truck, before rushing inside to escape the rain. 

Shuichi's own suitcase leaned against his side. As well as clothes, it had his important things trapped inside. The photo of him and his friends before he had to leave, his stuffed dove toy, the magnifying glass his uncle had gifted him for his seventh birthday..

But Shuichi abandoned the suitcase in the car, exiting out into the rain. He was already prepared for this weather, wearing his bright yellow raincoat and wellington boots as well as his grey, slightly worn hat. He didn't bother to pull the hood over his cap though, instead walking out into the thin forest in front of their new house. He didn't want to face it just yet. He needed some time alone.

Rain plastered down over Shuichi but he didn't turn back. He leapt down the length of the small hill that lead into one of the footpaths into the forest, avoiding a potential slipping hazard. Mud splashed around his boots and up his pants leg, but he didn't care. Even when the coldness sunk through onto his skin.

It was better sheltered in the forest from the rain, but only by a little. Shuichi walked through the woodland with almost no care, stomping through puddles of rainwater and splashing his once spotless boots into sinking mud. Leaves and dirt stuck to the ends of his coat and the bottom of his rain boots, making him look like some sort of wild child other than the timid, introverted boy that he usually was.

Leafless branches hung above him like claws ready to grab at his head. But Shuichi stared back up at them, snapping off one of the lowest hanging breaches with ease and staring down at at the thick twick. It was mostly straight, with a long curve at the end of it like a curled finger. 

It reminded Shuichi a lot of his uncle's cane. When he was at home, he used it to go basically everywhere. If he was in that much pain, he'd sometimes bring it to the office with him. Shuichi had often witnessed annoying clients and disobedient employees be smacked in the back of the head with it. The memory made him smiled for a few moments, before he remembered that he'd never see a scene like that again.

Due to how busy his parents often were, Shuichi spent a lot of time at his uncle's detective agency. Whilst he didn't have a particular interest in detectives at first, he slowly grew fond of the craft. Mainly thanks to the respect he showed his uncle. He missed the warmness of his smile and the tender care he showed the young boy, much more parental than any of his actual parents.

Shuichi turned the broken branch upside down, using it like a blind man with his walking cane. The trees were beginning to thin out into a small rounded clearing. Rocks surrounded the slopes and hills leaning against the desolate woodland up into the albeit more exciting suburbs on the map.

Bushes and man-planted shrubbery stood in a ring around the clearing. Some of the bushes had small divots in the ground and leading under the thicket. It was a good shelter for any small woodland creatures. Shuichi made his way over to the first bush, squatting down and tilting his head to the side.

Though it was dim in the shade of the plants, Shuichi easily spotted a pair of dark green eyes staring back at him. A short-haired muzzle and ears shaped themselves into view, along with a lithe well-groomed body and a long tail. 

A cat. It looked like a russian blue. Shuichi carefully stuck his hand inside the bush and he felt a soft furry head push itself onto his palm. A smile graced his lips since the first time they had arrived here. 

"You don't like the rain?" Shuichi asked, and he heard a small mewl in reply. He tousled his hand against the cat's ears before retreating back into the clearing. 

Pressing the broken branch against the ground, Shuichi looked down at the muddy forest floor. A circular wooden panel lay in the dead centre of the clearing. Slowly, as if something might pop out and get him at any moment, he approached the oddity in the ground. Was it safe to remove it? Shuichi placed a hand on the half rotting wood, pressuring it through his fingertips and feeling unnerved at how it creaked.

"Trying to fall in?"

Shuichi yelped in surprise at the sound of another human voice, turning around hastily and falling onto the wooden panel. He stared up in surprise and shock at the figure towering over them.

They weren't tall at all. A white leather raincoat like Shuichi's covered up most of their lean body. However, their attire was studded in chains and loose buttons. A white and black chequered neckerchief covered his mouth and nose, two devious pale purple eyes staring down at him. Black-to-fading-dark-mauve hair lay hidden under a black and silver hat reminded Shuichi of a police chief's hat. They pulled down the neckerchief to their neck, revealing a pouty pair of lips and a button nose.

"You're definitely trying to fall in acting like that." They grinned above him. "But it's so deep nobody will hear you scream- nobody will even know you're down there!"

Shuichi frowned, moving off the panel and onto more solid ground. The back of his pants and the bottom of his raincoat were muddied and leaves stuck to the bottom, but he didn't make a move to get rid of them. "What is it?" He asked, looking down at the panel.

"It was an old well about a century ago. But they closed it up because deranged women kept throwing their newly born babies don't there." They grinned at him again, clasping their hands behind their back. "That was a lie. Not the well part though."

Shuichi grimaced at the lie, even hearing such a thing and even knowing it was a lie, it still made him feel uncomfortable. 

"Your family just moved into the middle apartment of The Pink Palace, right?" They asked, and Shuichi looked back at them with confusion. 

"How did you know that?" Shuichi asked, looking them up and down as they did the same to Shuichi's slightly bedraggled appearance. 

They shrugged. "I'm psychic, quite obviously." 

Shuichi raised an eyebrow, and they chuckled at his intuitive behaviour. "My grandmother owns The Pink Palace. I'm surprise she let your family rent out an apartment."

"Why?" 

"She doesn't rent to families with children. Thinks it's dangerous. I don't blame her. That place even gives me the creeps." They admitted, looking the way Shuichi had came and overdramatically shuddering. "So what's your name?"

Shuichi hesitated. "Shuichi Shinguji. What's yours?"

"Kokichi Akamatsu. Where did you come from originally?"

"Why should I tell you that?" Shuichi asked, furrowing his eyebrows and slitting his eyes. But Kokichi didn't seem deterred. Instead he shrugged casually, before gesturing over to the broken branch in his hands.

"Wherever you're from, you clearly didn't grow up around trees. Can't you tell that's poison oak?" Kokichi sniggered. Shuichi immediately dropped the branch, wiping his hand on his raincoat as Kokichi turned away from him and toward the bush Shuichi had investigated earlier. 

Shuichi stopped trying to clean his hand, following behind Kokichi as he leisurely reached under the shrub and pulled out the cat hidden underneath carefully. "Here, Ryoma, you always try to hide from the rain over here.."

"He's your cat?" Shuichi asked as the russian blue affectionately pressed into Kokichi's hand, before seeking shelter in the inside of his jacket. Only his head poked out, staring back at Shuichi intensely. 

"Not really. Feral. Wild. He kills any of my enemies for me and brings back their corpses." Kokichi obviously lied. 

Shuichi folded his arms across his chest, clearly knowing it wasn't even close to the truth. "But sometimes he comes into my room late at night. I feed him every once in a while too." Kokichi spoke, letting the cat slink around his neck and perch himself comfortably in the warmth. "He's Ryoma."

"Ryoma.." Shuichi repeated, looking back at the russian blue cat staring at him. "Is he-"

"Kokichi!"

A voice from the hill rang out above them, along with the repetitive sound of a cowbell ringing. Kokichi looked distressed for a moment, before turning to Shuichi and grinning with what Shuichi was calling his signature smile. "I should be going then."

"Your grandmother?" Shuichi asked, and Kokichi shrugged.

"The ghost that haunts the countryside, actually. I better head towards it before it decides to devour your soul." Kokichi waved and turned on his heel before Shuichi could call him out on his obvious lie. He scuttled up the hill with ease, letting a few rocks fall down on it and mud slip down onto the ground. Shuichi looked after him wistifully, before turning around himself and looking back to the forest's footpath. 

* * *

"I landed on the well and could've fallen through." Shuichi spoke, leaning over the kitchen sink as he let warm water soothe the bright red rash forming on his hand. 

"That's nice, Shuichi." Kirumi spoke from the kitchen table, focusing intently on cleaning the grimy surface. Shuichi scowled silently, turning around after stopping the tap. 

"I could've died." Shuichi folded his arms across his chest, watching Kirumi's expression stay stoic and remain unchanged. She scrubbed at the hardwood, using what seemed like gallons of polish to try and at least make a dent in the dirt of the surface.

"Yes, Shuichi. That's very interesting. Oh- that reminds me." Kirumi looked up at Shuichi, moving back to the back counter of the kitchen and pulling out a grease paper wrapped package. It was tied up loosely with string, with a small piece of paper tucked into the bindings. "A little boy left this on the doorstep for you this morning."

Shuichi stayed silent as Kirumi handed him the package, before going back to her cleaning. Confused and curious, he plucked out the paper tucked in the side and unfolded it.

 _**'Hey-Hey my Beloved Shuichi!~** _  
_**I found this hidden beneath the gravestone of an old witch.** _  
_**Just kidding!~** _  
_**Look familiar?** _  
_**-Kokichi'** _

Shuichi sighed at the note, though he was intrigued to find out more. Placing the paper down, he untied the string of the terrible choice of wrapping paper, looking down at the contents both a little shocked and weirdly flattered. 

A doll lay in the grease proof paper. It was sewn very carefully, with limp arms and legs trailing the stitching up to the limp head. A yellow rubber raincoat and matching wellington boots fitted the doll perfectly. But he could see a small grey shirt and similar stripped pants under the yellow rainwear. But what was most eerie was above the neck. Two black button eyes stared back at him, with a tiny stubble nose and an anxious cross-stitched expression. Some sort of silky black wool lay atop the head in his exact hairstyle, but of course the majority of it was hidden away under a small black cap. 

It was a doll that looked exactly like him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've only seen the movie like 3 times and i'm loosely going off the script,,
> 
> still coming out though!!

"Dad? Do you know where the gardening tools are?"

Shuichi leaned his head around the recently refurbished study door. It was their first official day in the new apartment, and Shuichi couldn't find anything better to do. What else could be done? Kirumi had forbidden him from going outside today, to try and avoid his poison oak rash getting infected. She wasn't pleased with the fact that she had to wash his rain and mud soaked clothes less than an hour of their arrival. 

Korekiyo had his desk propped up against the wall, his drawing tablet plugged into one of the only outlets in the room. Shuichi took a quick peek at his drawing, seeing nothing interesting from his sketch of a boring blue beach background. Korekiyo hadn't even turned around to face him. 

"I don't think you'll be requiring any gardening tools in this weather, Shuichi." Korekiyo spoke flatly, continuing to draw on his tablet. 

Shuichi frowned. "Then what should I do?"

When he received no instant reply, Shuichi's fingers drummed against the hardwood of the door. He improvised a terrible rhythm and beat against it, letting the door creak along to his makeshift tune in pure boredom.

The action was clearly getting on Korekiyo's nerves, his stylus frozen in midair as he nervously sighed and shook his head. Spinning around in his chair, he turned to face Shuichi with annoyance plastered all over his expression. 

"You can help me and your mother out by finishing the downstairs packing. Just not in here." Korekiyo gestured to his study, before looking down at the doll Shuichi had been clutching. "Or you could practice more of your sewing skills, that is rather impressive."

Shuichi shook his head. "I didn't make it. It was.. gifted to me." That was technically true. 

"Well, whether or not you have a hidden talent for doll-making, can you please leave me to work?" Korekiyo asked. Shuichi exhaled out of his nose, closing the door of the study and leaving him in the old-fashioned hallway alone. Well, alone with his Mini-Shuichi. 

Shuichi stared up at the elongated hallway, looking at the unsecure light fixtures from above. He shuffled barefoot across the carpet, stepping onto the unsymmetrical lumps in the carpeting. Their entire section of the house had already been explored. It wasn't pretty.

First off, there were silverfish bugs in the bathroom. Cobwebs in almost every bedroom and some sort of musty rotten substance in the sitting rooms and offices. It would take decades to make this place be even habitable. Shuichi made his way into the living room, dragging the mini-Shuichi with him for company.

This was the only room they hadn't gotten around to fully unpacking. The furniture from the previous owners still resided in this room. It creeped Shuichi out a little that probably-dead people had sat on the same antique sofas and armchairs, used the same circular coffee table and fireplace. A few of their boxes lay around the room.

Shuichi decided that now was a better time than ever. Placing the doll down on the armchair, Shuichi made his way to the table and unpacked the first box. Four snow globes wrapped securely in bubble-wrap lay inside. Shuichi pulled out two simultaneously, shaking them in sync with each other.

One was of the fountain by their old home, and it was probably worth a fortune due to how old and well kept it was. But Kirumi had refused to sell it. Shuichi could respect that, it was a basically family heirloom. He placed two of them onto the mantelpiece above the fireplace, staring up at the painting on the wall. A boy clad in bright blue stood looking upset, holding an empty ice cream cone and a splatter of white on the ground.

It wasn't exactly his choice of decora.

Shuichi turned around to grab the other two snow globes, but stopped at the lacking presence of himself. Or- the doll version of himself. Hadn't he left it on the armchair? 

The armchair was desolate of anyone whether human or doll. Shuichi hummed curiously, looking around the living room. It didn't take him long to locate the presence of the doll. A woollen haired head stared out at him from behind two stacked boxes against the wall. The thought that the doll could've moved on it's own unnerved him, but he still made his way over. 

Pushing the boxes aside, Shuichi pulled out his doll carefully. He rubbed his thumb over the pale fabric cheeks of the doll before looking back at it's hiding place. There was something off about it..

Whilst there wasn't anything different about the height or width of the wall, it was more about the contents. Shuichi traced his finger against the outline of a small, square sized door behind the wallpaper. He fingered a tiny keyhole curiously, before shuffling back on his knees and calling out into the hallway and toward the kitchen.

"Mom! Where does this door go?"

Shuichi called out, hearing no response at first. He moved back far enough in case she hadn't heard him before. "It's locked!"

"Shuichi, I'm very preoccupied right now!" He heard Kirumi yell back to him. Shuichi sighed, knowing that was always her response. He still leaned back, craning his neck backward and almost-near screaming. 

"Can you just open it, ple-e-e-e-e-ease?" Shuichi called out, hearing an awful sounding squeaking noise and then footsteps heading in his direction. He watched Kirumi approach the living room, a scrubbing sponge and cleaning fluid grasped tightly in her rubber-gloves. Shuichi knew it was probably a bad idea for him to disturb her during her cleaning, but this was almost just as crucial.

Kirumi eyed the hidden door behind the wallpaper. "If I unlock it, do you promise to not disturb me or your father until dinner?"

Shuichi nodded eagerly, watching Kirumi exit the living room in a flourish and later return within moments, holding a black key. It's head was oddly shaped, a circle with four holes in the centre. Kirumi moved in front of the door as Shuichi slid on the floor beside her. 

Using the key's teeth as a temporary blade, Kirumi sliced open the edges of wallpaper around the door. She hastily stuck the key in the lock, turning it to the left. Shuichi's anticipation only rose at the sound of the door unlocking. She pulled it back to reveal-

"What?" Shuichi spoke his disappointment allowed, looking at the brick wall in place of anything interesting. Kirumi sighed, standing up and pulling out the key. 

"When they separated the house into three apartments, they must've sealed this off." Kirumi shrugged, before standing up and going to leave the living room out of both a mix of frustration and relief. 

"But why would the door be so small?" Shuichi wondered aloud, turning to his mother as if she knew the reason why. But he only received a glare of annoyance back. Shuichi would've flinched if he wasn't so used to it. 

Kirumi mimed a zipping motion over her lips, before turning and leaving back into the kitchen. Shuichi stared at the door longingly, before closing it shut. He didn't have the key to lock it, so it'd have to remain that way. 

* * *

"Why does Dad have to cook?"

Shuichi leaned back in the creaky kitchen chair, holding the Mini-Shuichi on his lap tightly. The disgusting smell of burnt spinach and overcooked chicken was enough to put anyone off eating for the rest of their lives. The dish in front of him made him gag quietly, squeezing his eyes shut as if it could disappear just like that. 

Kirumi placed a gloved hand on her temple, squeezing the stressed vein. "Shuichi, we've discussed this. I clean, your father cooks, and you be a normal everyday child." She spoke through gritted teeth, clearly done with his complaining. 

Picking up the fork to his left side, Shuichi poked at the hard-crusted casserole and shuddered. Nobody was clearly entertained by his little show. 

"Eat some spinach, Shuichi. You need it." Kirumi instructed lazily, barely giving him a second glance. Shuichi raised an eyebrow silently, staring at his plate as if it would transform into something more appetising on his command. 

Of course when it didn't, Shuichi pushed his fork into the burnt portion of his dinner. He shivered. "It looks like sludge." He commented offhandedly, letting the fork limply sit in his food. 

"Well, you can either have sludge or call in an early night." Korekiyo offered bluntly.

Shuichi was willing to take that proposal, slipping off his chair and holding Mini-Shuichi's arm as they exited the kitchen. Shuichi creeped around the corner of the outside of the kitchen, listening to Korekiyo and Kirumi's indistinct conversation about him.

"You should've convinced him to stay more." He heard Kirumi speak.

"It's not my fault he doesn't want to socialize with his family members." Korekiyo responded.

"Are you sure about that? This cooking says otherwise." She retorted back.

"Don't start with this. What do you expect from me when half our utilities aren't functioning?" Before Shuichi could hear more, he trailed upstairs to his bedroom to leave the starting argument. He didn't want to stick around for that, what twelve year old did? 

Shuichi thumped his way upstairs to his half-decorated bedroom. His bed had only just been setup this morning, the four-poster poles looking dangerously uneven. Some boxes still lay unpacked but the majority of things had been laid out. His dove toy, some chest of drawers and clothing, some books and the chair to his currently unassembled desk. It was a depressing sight for any child.

Dressing into his pyjamas, Shuichi placed Mini-Shuichi onto the chair. He switched off the lights to his room and slid into the freezing cold bed, staring at the framed picture he had brought up onto the chest of drawers. 

It was a photo they had taken just before Shuichi had left his old house and school. Kaito and Maki had made a banner for him that read 'Goodbye Shuichi' in funky and colorful letters, and in the photo they were holding it up for him. As much as he appreciated the sentiment, it pained him to see his two closest friends wishing him farewell. That was something no friend should have to do. 

Shuichi reached a hand out to touch the framed glass. "Please don't forget me." He whispered quietly, lidding his eyes shut as he drifted to sleep rather quickly. 

* * *

A soft itching sense itself on Shuichi's nose, his face scrunching up as his eyes fluttered open groggily. His adjusting gaze was blinded by a pattern of orange and black. Blinking furiously, he sat up in bed and stared at a lithe little body of a monarch butterfly on his nose. He tilted his head to the side curiously, looking at the wings move back and forth slowly as the butterfly lifted off his nose and around the room.

Shuichi stared after it in confusion. First off, how did a butterfly even get in here? He hadn't seen any appealing insects since they had got here. The butterfly fluttered around the room rapidly, going around his head a few times before slipping through the creak in the door. 

Seeing no other option to quench his curiosity, Shuichi slid out of bed and onto the cold bedroom floor, following the brightly coloured insect into the hallway and downstairs, tiptoeing down the darkened rooms as to make sure he didn't wake anyone up. 

The butterfly led him into the sitting room, circling around the snow globes around the fireplace's mantelpiece before stopping by the little door Shuichi had discovered earlier that day. Shuichi remembered that it had forgotten to be locked, but he knew what was behind it already. Even so, he made his way over and kneeled down beside it and the little butterfly.

As he got to his knees, the little monarch butterfly perched itself on his index finger. Shuichi made sure to avoid touching the wings, facing the door and staring down at the little butterfly. 

"There's nothing here." Shuichi spoke to it, watching the butterfly face him slowly as if it understood him. "Look, I'll show you." He complied. 

Edging open the little door slowly, Shuichi was prepared to meet disappointment again at the face of the brick wall. But that wasn't what he was met with.

A colourful, spiral like tunnel in beautiful cold colours stood before him. It was like portal to another world. Shades of blue and purple reflected back onto his perplexed form and expression. Just to make sure it wasn't a trick of his imagination, he reached out his non-butterfly hand into the tunnel. His hand didn't reach anything solid, or did it feel any different. It was real.

Shuichi looked down at the monarch butterfly slowly. It was like it knew. The butterfly flew up from his finger and into the colourful tunnel, leading his way confidently. Shuichi didn't see a reason not to follow. 

Edging his way into the door and the strangely perfectly childsized tunnel, Shuichi crawled his way through it, following the butterfly's instruction. The tunnel wasn't that long, maybe about fifteen feet long or so, but it felt like he was taking a trip to another dimension. Maybe he was? Shuichi wasn't sure of anything, just a mixture of confusion and curiosity. 

He reached the end of the tunnel almost as quickly as he had entered it, looking at an identical door to the one back at where he started. The butterfly stopped in front of it, obviously lacking the strength to push it open. Shuichi complied easily, prodded the door open with a single finger. He squeezed his way out of the tunnel slowly, watching the butterfly fly around his head once more before escaping away out of his sight.

With his temporary guide gone, Shuichi looked around in.. disappointment. Where he had ended up was an almost symmetrical-like living room to the one he had started in. How did he end up back home after going through such a beautiful journey? Shuichi stood up from his knees and hands and looked around. Some things were.. off. 

For one, the mood and atmosphere seemed much more uplifting. The dull wallpaper seemed vibrant and the old antique sofas looked brand new. Even the picture about the mantelpiece had changed to a much happier looking boy, with a full ice cream cone. 

What he had failed to notice until now was the soft sound of melodic humming and singing. Shuichi looked in the direction of it, a bright light coming from the kitchen. The aroma of freshly cooked food drew Shuichi to walk out into the hallway and stick his head around the kitchen door curiously. 

What he saw startled him. The kitchen looked.. unreal. It was clean, it was furnished to the fullest and everything looked polished and brand new. Hand sewn tablecloths, shiny silverware and burnished dishes and cooking utensils. That would've all been fine to look at and he probably would've left the kitchen alone at that to explore the rest of this strangely familiar house, but he wasn't focused on the kitchen's setting.

A woman in a black dress and white apron stood over the stove with oven mitts fastened tightly on. Her hair was strikingly familiar, as well as her uptight posture and skin tone and-

"Mom?" Shuichi called out, moving to stand in the doorway. The woman stopped singing immediately and slipped off her over mitts, though she didn't seem at all disturbed or annoyed as she turned around gracefully to stare back at Shuichi lovingly. 

"Shuichi, it's so pleasant to see you tonight." She spoke. Shuichi stared back in awe. Whilst everything down to a tee looked exactly like Kirumi, from her facial expression to her delicate hands and form, there was one offsetting feature. Her usually pale emerald eyes were replaced with black buttons, fitted perfectly into the place of her eye sockets. Shuichi took a step back warily, staring rudely.

"You're not.." Shuichi's voice trailed off as he spoke, nervousness piling up in his chest as he looked back. "You're not my mother." He forced out, nervously twiddling his fingers. "She doesn't have.. have.."

"Have buttons?" She spoke calmly, a gentle smile on her face. A gloved finger tapped at the left button slowly, a soft clinking as the nail made contact. "They're very beautiful, aren't they? I hope you like them."

Shuichi couldn't do anything but nod, still very unnerved by the lack of real eyes. The woman's smile only extended, her hands delicately clasping over her apron. "Shuichi, I _am_ your mother. Your other mother."

"Other mother..?" Shuichi repeated, looking the Other Kirumi up and down slowly. She seemed to enjoy the attention, picking up the edges of her skirt and twirling on one heeled boot. 

Other Kirumi stared back at Shuichi, her expression only growing more warm. "Everyone has an Other family, Shuichi." She simply confirmed, as if it was a casual conversation instead of a mind-blowing revelation. Other Kirumi moved back into the kitchen, slipping back on the oven mitts and glancing over at Shuichi affectionately. "Would you go inform your Other Father that supper is ready?"

Shuichi stared at the almost prepared food with wide eyes, placing a hand over his empty stomach and listening to it quietly grumble. It felt like months since he had even seen good food, never mind have the opportunity to try some. 

"He'll be in his study." Other Kirumi told Shuichi, ushering him out into the hallway. Seeing no other option, he made his way through to the study slowly, pushing open the ajar door carefully.

Instead of the box-filled study with Korekiyo's drawing tablet and desk, what Shuichi walked into was something much more.. fascinatingly odd. There were red ribbons and ropes dangling from the ceiling, several sets of colourful trapeze secured into bars against the roof. 

"Hello?" Shuichi called out into the rope-filled room, looking around at the limp pieces of thick and thin string. As he turned around to leave and inform the Other Kirumi that his 'Other Father' couldn't be found, he was greeted with a pale, masked face staring straight back at him.

Shuichi yelped in surprised, staring stepping back into the tangle of rope and ribbon behind him.

"Greetings, Shuichi." They spoke back at him, and after a quick deciphering glance he figured that this must be his 'Other Father', his striking resemblance to Korekiyo undoubtable, of course with the replacement of buttons for eyes. Shuichi looked up at him, seeing his legs bent into a trapeze attached to the ceiling. "What can I do for you on this fine night?"

Shuichi stared back at him. Korekiyo was never known to be so.. well, anything other than bland. "My father can't use ropes of any kind.." He simply put it, looking back at Other Korekiyo's tilted head. 

"I don't use ropes." Other Korekiyo responded. "The ropes use me."

Before Shuichi could ask what he meant exactly, the ribbons moved on their own around Other Korekiyo's wrists, pulling him up into the ceiling as red ropes coiled around his waist and legs. They seemed to fuse into his skin, twirling him down to the ground gracefully and unwrapping his body like a cocoon. Shuichi stared in amazement at the delicate procedure, watching him land directly on his toes like a dancer.

The ribbons and ropes detangled themselves from Other Korekiyo's limbs and waist. Shuichi looked up at the sentient strings with awe, before they affectionately brushed against Shuichi's cheeks and nose, making him chuckle at the ticklish sensation. Other Korekiyo swatted the ropes away within seconds, looking down at Shuichi with what he assumed was a smile behind the mask. 

"Oh, right.. um, she said the supper's ready." Shuichi reminded himself and told Other Korekiyo.

"Wonderful. Let us head to the dining room." Other Korekiyo spoke, placing a gloved hand on Shuichi's shoulder as they walked out of the study and into the dining room. 

Shuichi gawked in awe at the setting of the dining table. The table was polished so finely that he could see his reflection in it's hard mahogany. Lace tablecloths sat beneath silver bowls of sweet peas, corn and potatoes. Plates of buttered rolls stacked almost as high as the lit candelabra sat at either side of a pineapple centrepiece. Other Korekiyo lead Shuichi to sit at the head of the table as both him and the other Kirumi sat opposing each other to both of Shuichi's sides.

A fully roasted chicken sat behind Shuichi's freshly washed china plate, his staring becoming slightly rude at this point. Before he could even say anything Other Kirumi had stood up from her seat, a carving knife and fork in hand. She sliced a large chunk of chicken breast and lifted it onto Shuichi's plate, giving him a loving smile as she did so.

"Please feel free to help yourself, Shuichi." She spoke. "You look positively famished."

Shuichi did nothing but giggle nervously, avoiding eye contact as he watched his plate be piled high with mashed potatoes and green beans. He picked up his fork and knife slowly, cutting into the piece of chicken he was offered and tasting it hesitantly.

Almost flinching back at how amazing the taste was, Shuichi began to properly dig into his meal with vigour. Even though he could feel the burning button eyes stare at him whilst he ate. He swallowed mouthful after mouthful until he slowed down to look back at Other Kirumi. Whilst she hadn't touched any of the prepared food herself, her gaze rested firmly on Shuichi. It made him feel a little uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything about it.

"Is there anything to drink?" Shuichi asked sheepishly, but Other Kirumi simply looked up to the ceiling. Shuichi followed her vision to the moving chandelier, his mouth agape in wonder as it lowered itself down in front of him and spun around with different glass demonstrations of different drinks. 

Other Kirumi placed a hand on Shuichi's shoulder. "Choose anything you like." 

Though still a little hesitant, Shuichi grabbed his glass and lowered it beneath a fizzy purple drink, pulling the little lever as it empty into his glass. Taking a sip, Shuichi was again astounded at the taste. As he was drinking Other Korekiyo had stood up from his seat and removed Shuichi's half-eaten plate whilst Other Kirumi replaced it with another full plate. Instead of supper food this time, it was a beautiful sponge cake doused in baby blue icing and lit striped candles. 

Shuichi placed his drink down as white icing suddenly appeared on the cake, writing words before his very eyes like it was pure magic. They read 'Welcome Home' in soft italic letters, and though it was such a pretty sight it made Shuichi bit his bottom lip cautiously.

"Home?" Shuichi asked.

Other Korekiyo and Other Kirumi squeezed each other's hands as they looked down at him. "We've been waiting for you for so long, Shuichi." Other Kirumi said.

"For me?" Shuichi inquired again.

"Of course, Shuichi." Other Korekiyo blinked in acknowledgement. "We've been anticipating your arrival forever. It hasn't been the same without you, one small happy family."

Shuichi swallowed the nervous lump in his throat, staring at the cake with uncertainty. "I didn't know you were waiting for me. Isn't there an Other Shuichi?" He asked.

"There's only one of you, Shuichi." Other Kirumi clasped her hands over her apron as she stared down at him. Other Korekiyo nodded in approval. 

"The one and only." Shuichi flinched back at Other Korekiyo's approval and compliment. 

Other Kirumi moved away from Other Korekiyo slowly, moving to Shuichi's left side. "Once you're finished with your supper, I thought we could entertain ourselves with some games." She offered, her smile never failing to fade away. 

Shuichi froze. "Games? Like.. hide and seek?" He thought of.

"What a wonderful suggestion, Shuichi. Hide and seek. In the rain." Other Kirumi suggested. Shuichi looked at her puzzled, confusion whirring through his mind.

"There's no-" Before Shuichi could finish his sentence, a flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder interrupted him. He stared at the dining room window to see rain plastering down outside, pattering down the window suddenly as if it had been summoned out of nowhere. Shuichi shifted uncomfortably. "But it'll be muddy outside, and-"

"Mud is a wonderful part of this planet, Shuichi." Other Korekiyo spoke up.

"Yes, mud is fantastic. It has so many uses. Mud facials, mud baths, mud pies. It's a very good remedy for poison oak." As Other Kirumi spoke, she reached out to Shuichi's left wrist and stared down at his rash. More scared than satisfied, Shuichi slowly pulled his hand away and stared down at it in confusion. 

Shuichi flexed his wrist. "How did you.." His voice trailed off. Slowly, he pulled out of his seat and stood up, clasping his hands innocently behind his back. "It's a.. very good idea, but I am tired. I should get home to my other mother." 

Other Kirumi chuckled softly. "Shuichi, I _am_ your Other Mother." She reminded him, and Shuichi took a step back toward the hallway.

"I meant my other.. other mother. The first mother." Shuichi faked a yawn and rubbed his eyes, slumping himself down into a tired position. "I should sleep." He admitted, and though he saw hesitation in Other Kirumi's eyes she offered him another smile and made her way beside Shuichi, placing an arm around his shoulder tightly and one hand on his opposing shoulder.

"Of course, Shuichi. Your bedroom's all tidy and ready for you." Other Kirumi guided him upstairs whether he wanted to go or not, with Other Korekiyo following behind them as if he was making sure Shuichi wouldn't make a run for it back to the little door in the living room. 

Although upstairs here was much better furnished and brighter than the one before, Shuichi still felt mildly uncomfortable as he was paraded into his bedroom. But he gaped at the sight before him.

It was like a dream come true. The bedroom was a soft baby blue with all of his things presented out into full display but better. His bed looked brand new with soft grey covers patterned with white stripes. His shelves were filled with stuffed toys from little lions to giant gray elephants, all of them moving and interacting with each other like a fictional sahara. His clothes were stacked up neatly into his closet and his dresser looked freshly painted with his magnifying glass sitting polished cleanly. 

His stuffed dove toy which usually sat limply on his bed suddenly sprang to life, fluttering around his head and cooing softly like a real bird. Shuichi spun around in awe as the toy dove perched itself onto his shoulder. It's usual black beady eyes had been replaced with small buttons, but that was something minor he could deal with. 

"Hey, Shuichi! How long are you going to ignore us?" 

"We're right over here, Shuichi."

Immediately Shuichi's head turned over at the sound of those oh-so familiar voices, staring at the photograph of his friends in ecstasy as he leapt onto his bed and grabbed the photo's frame and stared at it intensely. "Kaito, Maki! I can't believe it's you!" He spoke in awe, smiling down at the photo as his friends grinned back at him happily. "You're both still coming for the summer, right?" He asked.

"We're already here Shuichi." Maki calmly spoke as Kaito wrapped his arm around her shoulder affectionately. Shuichi couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, before placing the photo back and yawning. This time it wasn't faked, exhaustion coming over himself as he slipped into the more easy fitting duvet. He would've closed his eyes right then and there and fell asleep, but a gentle tugging on his left arm reminded him of his Other Family.

Other Kirumi soothed out his left arm carefully, holding a little container of brown mud. Shuichi stared at it warily as she applied the mud to his poison oak rash, her touch gentle and caring. Once she let go, he slipped his hand back under the covers and turned his head to the side, eyes lidding shut as he watched both Other Kirumi and Other Korekiyo stare down at him lovingly as he drifted to sleep.

"Goodnight, Shuichi." Other Kirumi whispered out. "We love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you couldn't tell everyone in the other world corresponds to their talents when in the real world they dont  
> i thought that'd be cool,,,
> 
> also i changed mice/rats to butterlies/?? !! you'll see why soon!!  
> critiques and comments always appreciated!!

**Author's Note:**

> chapter one done!! things are gonna be slightly different from the actual plot of the movie- but things will run along the same course!! i promise to include crucial moments and such. anyways- hope you enjoyed!! kudos, comments & critiques are always appreciated!!!!


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